Third Quarter Report
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RMIT University RMIT Student Union Funding agreement 2011 Third quarter report Reporting period 01/07/2011 - 30/09/2011 www.su.rmit.edu.au www.facebook.com/RUSUpage www.twitter.com/RMITSU www.youtube/RUSUonline www.su.rmit.edu.au . www.facebook.com/RUSUpage . www.twitter.com/RMITSU . www.youtube/RUSUonline 1 President’s report Hard work and progress for RUSU The third quarter has been one of hard work and progress for RUSU and as we head towards the end of the year, we’ve really ramped up our events and activities. To welcome in the second semester we held four highly successful Mid-Year Orientation events. These were jointly coordinated by RUSU, SSG and University Events, in another example of the Student Union working productively in conjunction with the University service groups to achieve high quality student focused results. The overall attendance of the MYO events was very strong and the days were a lot of fun. One focus for the quarter and indeed the year has been increased activity at Bundoora with regular Yoga and Tai Chi classes and weekly “starving students” events. We’ve also committed to a Student Rights Officer servicing the campus one day a week, which, anecdotally, has been a great help to the students and staff out there. We haven’t forgotten about the other campuses either; our ‘Pop up pub’ event at Tivoli, held on the last Wednesday of each month, has been a great way of including the business campus and giving them an event to call their own. And of course our regular weekly City campus events have continued to grow in attendance, including ‘Chill & Grill’ and ‘Drinks with Friends’, which are becoming weekly highlights for many students. This quarter has also seen the launch of a new LEAD accredited RUSU volunteer program, kicked off by a training camp with 20 new recruits. This will mean for the last quarter and next year that RUSU has a fresh and enthusiastic team of student volunteers willing to lend a hand to improve student life on campus. RUSU Realfoods is thriving - we’re expanding our volunteer base and the refreshed menu is proving very popular. Lucy Stegley, the café’s coordinator, has been running regular Realfoods cooking demonstrations including appearances from Masterchef winners and celebrity chefs. These events connect the interests of RMIT Health Services, City Fitness and RUSU’s Environment and Welfare departments in a meaningful and delicious way! The Compass Drop-In Centre has continued the ground work of Realfoods in offering students healthy food options by conducting a 4 week trial into the viability of a Library Food Cart. This cart provides healthy organic food and beverage options to students studying after hours in the Library, when the RMIT cafe is closed. While the leading choices for students are still chocolate bars, it’s at least providing some healthy options and saving the students from interrupting their study to find unhealthy off-campus food or drink. In sector-wide news RUSU has welcomed the introduction of the Student Services Amenities Fee, and I look forward to working constructively with the University to ensure the Fee, when implemented, can deliver and bring student services and amenities back to the ‘good old days’ of pre-VSU. Discussion has also commenced regarding effective representation for TAFE students both on-campus and externally, and how that can best be achieved. RUSU has been in talks with its Swinburne and Victoria University counterparts and the National Union of Students, and hopefully something beneficial can come of it. It’s been a very successful year so far and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has to offer. David Swan RMIT Student Union President www.su.rmit.edu.au . www.facebook.com/RUSUpage . www.twitter.com/RMITSU . www.youtube/RUSUonline 2 Student life/Clubs and Societies $355,912 Total spent in third quarter 58.81% of total spend Activities and events MYO (Mid-year orientation) success! RUSU worked with other service providers, SSG and University events, to plan and deliver 4 highly successful MYO events to welcome new students and reconnect with returning students. We gave away piles of free RUSU branded goodies, sold RUSU memberships and registered volunteers for the new RUSU RMIT LEAD volunteer program. Tuesday 12 July – Brunswick Campus - Free veggie burgers, 10 x clubs stalls, muffins and DJ entertainment from student performers Wednesday 13 July - Carton Campus - Free brekkie, 10 x clubs stalls, and acoustic performances from student band Wednesday 20 July - City Campus (Alumni Crt) – Free veggie burgers, steamed corn, RUSU run bar area, 30 x clubs stalls, student DJ’s, performances from RMIT Link Cheerleaders and Funkadelic Thursday 21 July - Bundoora Campus – Free BBQ lunch, Poffertjes van, DJ set from student DJ Kenzo, 12 x club stalls. New Activities sound equipment on 3 campuses • A professional sound engineer trained the activities staff members in the full use of P.A and sound gear set up, and offered advice on equipment upgrades to simplify the outdated set up. Two mini PA’s were purchased for Bundoora and Brunswick campus events – these kits will be perfect for the weekly events and are available for hire by clubs for use on those campuses. The city campus PA gained a new pair of industry standard speakers and CDJ’s to assist with our promotion of using student DJ’s for our events. Huge voter turnout in RUSU’s annual elections (19–23 Sept) RUSU events are environmentally friendly • RUSU has seen resurgence in student engagement with the Annual • RUSU events are now committed to using biodegradable Elections – voter turnout was up by 50% on 2010 with a total crockery, cutlery and cups at events. This quarter, we also teamed number of 2721 voters across 5 campuses. Run by Above Quota up with the “Germinate” students from Music Industry to have a Elections, the elections saw 4 tickets and a total of 49 individual solar powered PA for our outdoor events. students nominate to be a part of the 2012 council. RMIT Open Day The elections were hotly contested by the candidates and the results could not be announced until October due to a thorough • RUSU overran the “Student Life” marquee in Bowen Street on appeals process. City Campus with 24 club stalls giving out thousands of RUSU Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday branded pens, rulers, sharpeners, Catalyst magazines, O’Books 19 September 20 September 21 September 22 September 23 September and general info to prospective students (and their parents!) Swanston Street 10.30am - 3.00pm 10.30am - 3.00pm 10.30am - 6.00pm 10.30am - 6.30pm 9.30am - 1.00pm Foyer, Bld 8.3 4.30pm - 7.30pm 4.30pm - 7.30pm Bundoora Bld 204 10.00am - 2.00pm Bundoora - Bld 202 12.00 - 3.00pm (Outside Library) Bourke Street 11.00am - 2.00pm Bld 108.3 11.00am - 2.00pm 1.00 - 7.00pm 5.00 - 7.30pm RUSU lounge Carlton - Bld 57.4 11.00am - 2.00pm Cafeteria Carlton – Bld 94 5.00 - 7.30pm 9.30am - 12.00 noon Lobby Ground Floor Brunswick 11.00am - 2.00pm 11.00am - 2.00pm Bld 514 Foyer Education and Welfare feed students healthy RMIT sends “The Rosencrants” to the National breakfasts Campus Band Competition The weekly free Breakfast hosted by RUSU’s Welfare and Education depts are addressing the issues around student poverty by providing • The Penny Black in Brunswick hosted this year’s RMIT heat for 200 students per week with fresh fruit, bagels, muffins and pastries. the NCBC - we had 6 student bands from RMIT participate, with judges from InPress magazine and RMIT’s Music Industry Management course. The winners, the Rosencrants, scored $350 and entry into the VIC State final at the Espy Hotel. www.su.rmit.edu.au . www.facebook.com/RUSUpage . www.twitter.com/RMITSU . www.youtube/RUSUonline 3 Student life/Clubs and Societies • Lady Fingers DJ course – With the assistance of the City of Moreland, RUSU engaged the Lady Fingers collective, Across the Melbourne’s first Multicultural Women’s DJ Collective, to come on campus to play music and promote a weekly DJ and event campuses management course taking place at Youth Services Oxygen Space in Brunswick. Brunswick Carlton RUSU is committed to ensuring students on outlying campuses remain connected. • Tradie Chow Down – Once a month, trade students score “a free bacon and egg roll for all in blue overalls” and have a chance to • Winter Warmers – Serving free winter warming vegan/vegetarian connect with RUSU’s student rights and election information. We soup and bread every Tuesday from July - September to 200 serve 110 people per event. students per week. • Bld 94 Brunch – Every Thursday the Bld 94 students gather • Pity the Fool lunches – Serving free spring appropriate veggo or around piles of muffins, pastries and fruit as RUSU delivers its vegan lunches including hearty salads, bread and dips to 200 highly popular free brunch to 60 students per week! students per week. These events were also run in conjunction with other community initiatives such as the RMIT African • Pizza Lunch – Who doesn’t like pizza? 150 of Bld 57’s hungriest Students Association fundraising for the UNICEF East Africa students got to enjoy free pizza lunch during election week in an Famine Fund Raising Day where they raised $1000.00! effort to promote student engagement with the RUSU elections. • Knock-Off Drinks – Is there a better way to end a month but in the pub, enjoying an ice-cold beer with your classmates? RUSU connects with RMIT Carlton campus the last Thursday of each i piTy ThE fOOl month, with around 100 students turning up per week.